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Tuesday, June 7, 2016

At last, and I truly mean that, another blog post. The original idea for the whole pie thing was because I wanted the chance to interview writers who pump work out that I enjoy. Then I'd ask eight questions and I'd call it "Eight Slices with..." Sometimes my genius is mind-bottling. (Yes, that was intentional.)

Funny thing is, writers have deadlines and schtuff. So, doing something steady about that idea has been more of an issue than I'd have imagined. So at long last, I present my first Eight Slices....

Wait.

Okay, Seven..."Seven Slices with Jeff Strand." No pie should ever be cut into seven pieces. I'm too OCD for that. I'd sent eight questions, and Jeff was kind enough to answer seven. Let's just leave it at I'm not the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Hence: "Seven Slices with Jeff Strand."

Jeff is the author of a trillion novels, short stories, novellas and whatever the hell else you can write. Pretty much all of it is awesome. My daughter's favorite book is The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever, and Pressure is one of mine. Seriously, it's fantastic. We focused on his novel Wolf Hunt 2.

Without further ado....

1 – Since we’re focusing mostly on Wolf Hunt 2, what about this world and
characters motivated you to return to them? Do you think there are any
inherent advantages in the writing process to doing a sequel? Any
disadvantages?

Jeff Strand - About
halfway through Wolf Hunt I said,
"Wow, I'm really having fun with these characters! I should return to
them!" My original plan was to have George and Lou fight different
monsters each time (Mummy Hunt, Vampire Hunt, etc.) but I decided to go
with a more direct continuation of the first story. The advantages and
disadvantages of a sequel are actually the same thing: readers go in with
specific expectations. It can be a disadvantage because the reader has already
peeked into your bag of tricks, but it can be a huge advantage because you can
use those expectations against them!
Hahahahaha!

2 – Surprise! It’s about
werewolves. When you write about a genre trope such as this, how do you
keep it fresh? Is there any comfort with what’s gone before, or, for you,
is there a desire to go against the established grain?

JS -With Wolf Hunt, I tried to reinvent the rules
about how werewolves work. Ivan can change form whenever he wants, and he can
also change part of his body (an arm, for example) if he's so inclined. Things
like the full moon, etc. are irrelevant. On the flip side, I'm working on a
vampire novel now that plays completely by the traditional monster rules, but
in a different kind of story. I think both methods are equally valid.

3 – The ending appears to set up
another book in the series. Is that the intent? Please tell me it
is, or else I’ve wasted a question. What more in this arena do you want
to explore?

JS - Yes,
there will definitely be a Wolf Hunt 3.
I think that going beyond three books in this series would be pushing it, so
it's my duty to make sure that the third and final book is the funniest, most
action-packed, and most insane one of the trilogy. Without blabbing any of the
plot, I can say that this one is a "siege" book instead of a
"chase" book.

4 – The book has some laugh-out-loud
moments and lines. You’ve often written with a humorous tilt to your
work. When writing horror, is it more important for you to go for the
scare or the laugh? What would be your ideal balance between humor and
horror?

JS - It varies
by book. With something like Wolf Hunt,
it's more important to go for the scare. With something like, say, A Bad Day For Voodoo, it's more
important to go for the laugh. I try to mix things up. There's no
"ideal" balance for me except that if I'm under deadline to write a
more serious book, I'll be in the mood to write a really goofy comedy, and I'm
under deadline to write a really goofy comedy, I'll be in the mood to write a
more serious book.

5 – You’ve been anointed lifetime
emcee for the Stoker Awards. I think they have to skip them if you get
sick or something. What has that meant to your career? How do
prepare for such a gig? Do you ever want to point out that your books are
probably better than anything nominated that year? Who did you want to
punch most?

JS - I don't
think it's actually meant anything for my career. Feedback is overwhelmingly
positive, but in general, people don't care that much about who emcees an
awards banquet--they just care who won! Aside from the occasional ad-lib, all
of the jokes are written out ahead of time. I don't leave anything open to just
winging it. Even in years when I'm emceeing as a nominee, I do not reference my
own books, because to do so would be tactless and uncouth. I never wanted to
punch anybody, though there was one instance where I did kind of want to tell
one presenter to go f**k him or herself. (I didn't, because: tactless and
uncouth.)

6 – Writing geek time: When
you’re preparing to write a new novel, what is your process? Outline or
no? Do you know the ending, the pov or theme, or just wing it? Is
there anything you wish you could do better as a writer?

JS - I only
outline if I am contractually obligated to do so. Otherwise, I like to know a
few key moments along the way, and have at least a vague sense of the ending. That's
in the overall arc; on a day to day basis, I do usually write out a series of
bullet points listing what's going to happen over the next few pages. I don't
think I'm a master of "place." You know writers where the setting is
its own character? Not in my books...

7 – You have a new book that just
came out. Pimp the shit out of it here! What else is on the horizon
for Jeff Strand?

JS - "Just
came out" would be more accurate if I had completed these interview
questions in a timely manner...but my most recent title is The Greatest Zombie Movie Ever, a wacky comedy from Sourcebooks
that you can still find in the Teen Fiction section of your local bookstore. Up
next is a more "serious" (though still with plenty of humor) novel
called Blister. If you're reading
this by June 15th, 2016, the hardcover limited edition is still
available for pre-order from Sinister Grin Press. If you're not...well, there's
always the second-hand market, and there'll be an e-book and paperback edition,
so you can still read it!